The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-19
WOMEN RULING A CITY.
And Doing it Fully as Well as Mascu-
line Officials Could.
Soltnd (Kan) Letter to Memphis Appeal

Solind (Kan) Letter to Memphis appeal
/ have just returned from a trip on the
Santa Fe road, west Syracuse, 10 miles
from the Colorado line, was the Mecca of
my pilgrimage, because here, April 4. they
elected City Council OF women, and was
bent upon seeing the town that had made
this innovation and the women who were
filing the Council chairs | wanted to ask
the people how it came about and how it
was working The first of these ladies' in
troduced to me was Mrs. E. B. Barbour, a
fair-faced, gentle-mannered woman, with
an unmistakable air of business about her
found this accounted for by the fact that
she is a business woman. Her husband does
large and complicated business; the books
are entirely in her charge Mrs. H. D. Mott
is business woman, too. ] expect much of
Mrs. Mott in the management of their Suf-
frage Society, because OF her experience in
Iowa as President of the Eighth District
Woman Suffrage Society. Mrs. Coggeshall
says they were very sorry to lose Mrs. Mott
from their ranks She is chairman of the
Syracuse Aldermanic force. Mrs. NJ. M.
Higgles is quiet little woman, a careful
and conscientious mother and housewife
She has way Of making up her mind for
herself and standing firmly by her convic-
tions. She has reputation among Syracuse
male citizens for being a person Of excellent
judgment. Mrs. 5. N. Coe is O woman OF
excellent ability, with enough conservatism
to keep her enthusiasm in proper check. No
one OF these women is more anxious TO do
exactly right than is Mrs. Coe. She is sister
to Mrs. Lemert, President of the Saxon
Equal Suffrage Society, organized at Dodge
City by Mrs. Saxon and named for her. She
has several such namesales in Kansas. Mrs.
l.. NJ. Swartwood, the fifth member, did
not see, although | made an effort to do so.
She was confined to her home by sickness:
but am told she is woman OF ability and
by no means behind her sisters In aly re-
quisite for her position. Ny short acquaint-
ance with these women convinced me that
sitting in council chairs and wrestling with
questions OF city polity have had no effect
to unsex them-whateyer TINT ay bc-for
these were as womeny women as I have
ever seen. / looked in vain for masculine
tendencies. There was not n hint Of il In
dress or manner. Meeting them on the
street or III the cars, you would never guess
that they were city officials From CONVEX
satlon with them / learned that thcv were
exceedingly anxious to make their admins
tration Just one--one that would advance
the best interests OF the city; and when they
spoke of advancing the interests of their
city they betrayed the fact that they had In
mind the city's moral as well as temporal
prosperity. 1t is said of them that they are
doing better work than the body of men
who composed the previous Council Their
townspeople say they were elected because
somebody proposed it and everybody was
pleased with the idea;n because tit was be-
lieved they would make excellent officers.a
because "the temperance people thought
women wouldn't be afraid TO enforce fbe
prohibitory law;n because 1--WE wanted Ia
advertise our town"-this last from mem
Der of a real estate firm; because women
would take time to do the work well and
thoughtfully." Altogether, | was pleased
with my FIRST sight of woman Council
This is the only Que in the United States,